Christmas in Japan

Have you ever wondered if Christmas is celebrated in Japan? This country is not typically associated with Christianity. After all, only about 1-2% of the entire population identifies with any version of Christianity. Therefore, a look at Japanese cities during the holiday season might truly surprise you. Christmas trees, lights, ornaments, "Merry Christmas" signs, Santas, and a plethora of other decorations fill stores and popular streets in many cities. You might start to ask yourself—what's it all about? The answer is simple: commerce.

Since I arrived in Japan, I've visited numerous places and stores. There are entire companies devoted to shipping Japanese goods abroad—whether it's snacks, clothing, or other gadgets. The variety is staggering, and any occasion is a good opportunity to earn revenue. The first signs of this "holiday" entrepreneurship I noticed were around October when Halloween was the buzz. Stores were decorated with pumpkins and bats, and there were promotions on Halloween-related items. However, after talking with a few people—both Japanese and other gaijins—I learned that nobody here actually celebrates it. Trick-or-treating, as seen in American films, doesn't happen. Sure, there are themed parties, but Halloween in stores exists to make money. It's no surprise that Christmas has met the same fate.

Such a Christmas tree stood in one of the shopping malls.... On the other hand, an illuminated bench and more unusual Christmas trees I found in Yokohama.

The first time I saw a fully decorated Christmas tree in a restaurant lobby, I was surprised. "You know, we have to earn somehow, hehe," one Japanese person explained to me. I get that but... it was only 3rd November! Just like in Poland, where we complain about early holiday decorations, here it is even worse. Halloween decorations start appearing in September and vanish by November 1st, only to be replaced by Christmas ones. Of course, not all stores follow this trend; some start decorating "late" in December.

The christmas-y lights can be encountered in many very different places. The first photo was taken in Tokyo, near Akihabara Station. The second shows Nova Hall Square in Tsukuba.

The holidays are not just about decorations. Various dishes and snacks also appear. One famous Japanese "Christmas" dish is KFC chicken. That's right. Fried chicken from this fast-food chain has become a holiday symbol. How did this happen? Mainly due to the absorption of American culture. However, as you might point out, Americans eat turkey during the holidays! However in the 1970s, when this "tradition" began to spread in Japan, buying a turkey was almost impossible. American (and British) Christians found an alternative - chicken. And that would be understandable... But why KFC? There are several versions of this story, and no one is sure which is true. In short: information about the popularity of chicken during the holidays reached the one of first KFC managers, Takeshi Okawara. He decided to capitalize on this with a holiday bucket of fried wings, and launched an aggressive advertising campaign. The result exceeded his expectations. That's why, since so many years, thousands of Japanese people buy KFC chicken for the holidays.

Another dish associated with the holidays is Christmas cake - kurisumasu keki. Bakeries, restaurants, and grocery stores offer various cakes, especially for the holidays, but the most popular one is the cream and strawberry cake.

As I mentioned earlier, despite numerous decorations and the whole atmosphere, Christmas is celebrated without any religious association (which, of course, seems absurd). In some places, the Japanese are not entirely aware of what it's all about, leading to smaller and larger mistakes...

Just before Christmas, I visited a shopping mall. Like in every European store at this time of the year, also here I could hear Christmas songs: carols and popular songs like "Last Christmas" or "All I Want for Christmas Is You." However, after a few seconds in one store, something felt off. The melody was familiar, but the arrangement made it hard to recognize. After half a minute, when I finally heard the lyrics, I knew. The store was playing... "Ave Maria". Well... that was unexpected.

However, don't think you can't celebrate the holidays in Japan the same way as we do in Europe. If you look hard enough, despite the small number of Christians, you can find churches in many places. However, due to the number of different branches of Christianity and relatively few believers, you may not always find the one you're looking for. It might be a Catholic church, or it could be Anglican or Evangelical. Interestingly, in Tokyo, there's the Church of St. Ignatius, where the Mass is held also in Polish language once a month!

What should we make of Christmas in Japan? Honestly, I have mixed feelings. The Japanese version is a blend of Asian and Western culture, picking desirable elements like raisins out of a cake. On one hand, it’s strange to see the holidays transformed this way. But on the other hand, I am pleased that, despite being far from Poland, I can still feel a bit of the holiday atmosphere.